
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, September 19, 1994                   TAG: 9409220027
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

BUSH WON'T VISIT VA. TO STUMP FOR NORTH

Although former President Bush has endorsed Oliver North in his race for a U.S. Senate seat from Virginia, there are no plans for Bush to campaign with the Republican nominee.

Mark Merritt, North's deputy campaign manager, said the former president is not expected to campaign in Virginia.

``I think he's busy with his two sons,'' who are running for office in Florida and Texas, Merritt said.

In an Aug. 19 letter to North, Bush said he ``would be pleased to endorse you if that would help in any way. Good luck to you. It's important that you win the race and that we get control of the Senate.''

North said his campaign would release a formal letter of endorsement later in the campaign.

``I have talked to him, and we have exchanged faxes. We have a letter in the works,'' North said.

North is challenging Democratic incumbent Charles Robb and independent Marshall Coleman.

Bush was vice president under former President Reagan at the time of the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages scandal. North, then a Marine lieutenant colonel attached to the National Security Council, arranged covert arms sales and funneled money to anti-Communist Nicaraguan rebels at a time when such funding for the Contras was illegal, then lied to Congress before the scandal surfaced. He said his actions were justified because Congress was wrong to bar funds for the Contras.

North was convicted of felonies for destroying documents about the Iran-Contra deal, accepting an illegal gratuity and aiding in the obstruction of Congress. The convictions were overturned on appeal because his trial was tainted by congressional testimony North gave under immunity.

Both Bush and Reagan have said they knew nothing about the operation, despite North's claims they were aware of what he was doing.

Earlier this year, Reagan refused to endorse North, saying he was angry at North for the allegation. North later said, ``If the president says he didn't know, he didn't know.''

North has not retracted his statements about Bush's knowledge of the affair.

Jim McGrath, a Bush spokesman, said that while Bush does not understand why North would make the allegation, ``The bottom line is that George Bush thinks that it's in the best interest for the Republican Party to reclaim a majority in the Senate.''

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB